Eva! Might want to represent that Isabella is the one and only premeir "fresh water" sailing venue in California. It is a premier teaching venue for youth, adults and families. It is the only viable fresh water venue for windsurfing and kiting surfing education for future Olymians in Southern California. And could be economically devistating to the small businesses that reley on wind-sport enthusiasts in the Kernville-Bakersfield area. For instance when I was teaching my son at Isabella, if it wasn't windy, we went rafting on the Kern river and stayed in local hotels. This is an Olympic sport, and Isabella is the best place for beginners and future Olympians...

A map showing California's top 10 spots, and how they relate to Isabella. This could be like "The Ponds" in Palm Springs. A lost spot forever. Maybe folks could contribute photos of Isabella in its prime! Definitely want to stress how important this is to the youth.

• The Corps plans to prepare a Recreation Plan during 2012-2013 to further
explore and identify options for mitigation to offset adverse effects to recreation resulting from construction of the Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project.

would imagine they could easily close out the Aux Dam area (for their project) and open the area between French Gulch & Boudler Gulch to satisfy any particular recreational requirements

if you had attended any of the meetings, Mike, you would know that the Corps plans on using only the Southern half of the AuxDamRec area as a staging area, leaving the Northern half (our windsurf launch area) up for grabs.
I am grabbing!
Regarding opening up the area between French Gulch and Boulder Gulch to camping: there are no bathrooms there other than those immediately at the French Gulch and Boulder Gulch campgrounds. With the Corps not feeling incumbent upon itself to fund any recreational remediation, and the Forest Service severely strapped as it is, the required facilities could likely not get funded.
What would make more sense is opening up existing facilities to the same on-the-beach camping as exists at the AuxDam, specifically Kissack Cove, as well as Paradise Cove - which currently stands vacant except on the very big holidays

same as last year for both the Sierra Pass, as well as the Lake Permits - though there is litigation pending against the Forest Service charging access fees at its High Impact Recreation Areas. I don't think this will go anywhere as far as the AuxDam, which has the requisite "improvements" in place, but might come through for the Ghetto. Stay tuned...

I don't know if Kern County, or Forest Serv is the responsible party, but while they are "improving" how about-
1. Cut the trees sticking out of the water. It's a safety issue, and fish habitat defense is BS. Visit any fish hatchery. The habitat is a concrete square pond!
2. Use dozers to make real roads into the ghetto & Robinson.
3. Enforce right of way law.
4. Cut the stinking trees...

a lot of agencies involved here:
the Corps of Engineers actually own the land taken up by the lake, up to the high-water mark. About 15 years ago, it turned administration of the adjacent beaches over to the Forest Service, who in turn handed some of the campgrounds over to private concessionaires. Administration of activities on the water is in the hands of Kern Co Parks & Recreation.
Yes, the trees are a huge safety issue. But when during one of the public meetings with the Corps, I asked for the trees to be removed in preparation for the low water years during the rerouting of the Borel Canal, you would have thought I was asking to string all fishermen up by their - uh - thumbs.
In my proposal, I will suggest opening the Paradise Cove & Kissack Cove areas to dispersed camping, and that the trees between the Ghetto and the South Fork Marina be removed, in order to facilitate water activities there by those campers displaced from the South end of the AuxDamRec area.
Yes, "improvement of existing facilities" will specifically include grading the access to the Ghetto launch. Don't know about Robinson Cove, though.

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